Vise for irregularly shaped objects



July 17, 1956 c. R. PETERSON 2,754,708

VISE FOR IRREGULARLY SHAPED OBJECTS Filed Aug. 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Fig./

Fig.2

Charles R Peterson INVENTOR.

BY MM 19% y 17, 1956 c. R. PETERSON 2,754,708

VISE FOR IRREGULARLY SHAPED OBJECTS Filed Aug. 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fig. 4

0 f 0 :ll4

Charles R. Peterson IN V EN TOR.

BY Mt 04 United States Patent VISE FOR IRREGULARLY SHAPED OBJECTSCharles R. Peterson, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Multiple Die Vise Co.,incorporated, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan ApplicationAugust 25, 1953 Serial No. 376,415

'2 Claims. ctsl-ss This invention relates to vises and more specificallyprovides a vise which will .hold irregularly shaped objects while somework is being performed on such objects.

An object of this invention is. toprovide a vise having opposed jaws forgripping ii-regmany'sha ed objects over a substantial area thereof.

A novel object of this invention is to provide a vise wherein the jawsautomatically conform to the shape of the object to be held and may beeasily secured in this position for repeat gripping operations.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a vise which may holdirregular shaped objects and which is inexpensive in manufacture, easyto adjust, and lends itself to a minimum of maintenance and repair.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the vise of this invention with a portionof one of the top plates broken away to show details of the opposing jawmembers;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure of Figure 1 showing thejaw-operating means and the object-gripping plungers in closed positionwith no work therebetween;

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view showing the structure of a singlework-engaging plunger;

Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical section taken along section line 4-4of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the movable jaw;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken along the sectionline 55 of Figure l, but showing an irregular shaped object clampedbetween the jaws and showing the details of the object-engaging plungersand their actuating means; and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view showing the movable plate whichengages the plungers and locks them in adjusted position.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, it will be seen thatthe numeral 10 generally designates the vise of this invention having abase 12 with slotted attaching lugs 14 for securing the vise 10 to asuitable supporting surface.

As best seen in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, the base 10 is provided with anupstanding stationary jaw member 16 in the shape of a box-like memberand a movable jaw 18 of a similar shape with the open edges of thebox-like jaws 16 and 18 facing each other. The movable jaw 18 isslidably supported by a pair of horizontal guide rods 20 which arereceived in suitable bearing apertures 22 adjacent the lower end of themovable jaw 18. At the extreme end of the base 12 is an upstanding lug24 having an internally threaded aperture 26 for receiving a screwthreaded member 28 having an operating handle 30 on the exterior end andprojecting beyond the base 12. The inner end of the screw member 28 isrotatably received in a socket 32 in the movable jaw 18. The socket 32is provided with a Patented July 17, 1956 set screw 34 which is receivedin a peripheral groove 36 of the screw threaded member 28 and anabutment washer 38 is secured between the end of the screw threads andthe shoulder surrounding the socket 32 for pushing and pulling themovable jaw 18 towards the stationary jaw 16. The guide rods 20 arerigidly secured to the upstanding lug 24 at one end and at their otherend to the stationary jaw 16 and the movable jaw 18 is moved along theguide rods 2%) by turning the handle 30..

As seen in the drawings each of the jaws 16 and 18 are provided withcover plates 40 secured to the upper end of the jaws by suitable screws42. As best seen in Figure l, the box-like jaws 16 and 18 are providedwith an elongated notch 44 in each side thereof adjacent the rear wallof the box-like jaws 16 and 18 and vertically slidable in these notches44 is a plunger holding plate 46 which ex tends from the bottom of thebox-like structure to the topof the guide plates 46 is provided with aplurality of guideapertures 48 in spaced horizontal rows. Slidablyreceived in each of the apertures 48 is a reduced portion 58 of awork-engaging plunger or pin 50 having a rounded end portion 52 forcontacting the object to be clamped and a shoulder 54 spaced from theend portion 52 and acting as a stop member for a compression coil spring56 which is interposed between the shoulder 54 and the guide plate 46and surrounding the reduced portion 58 of the pin 50. The end of the pin50 remote from the contact end 52 is provided with a peripheral notch 60for receiving a split ring 62 thereon which limits the outward movementof the pin 56 in an obvious manner.

As clearly seen in Figure 3, the work-engaging pins 50 are polygonal inshape and as shown preferably hexagonal and as best shown in Figures 1and 4 a movable plate 64 is provided on the interior side of the jaws 16and 18 and abutting the work-engaging pins or plungers 50. Threadedthrough the sides of the jaws 16 and 18 is a bolt 66 for engaging themovable plate 64 and as the bolts 66 are screwed inwardly the plate 64engages the pins 50 and by exerting side force thereon frictionallyretains the pins in any adjusted position.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. The vise 11) ismounted upon any suitable supporting surface through the use of mountinglugs 14 and the jaws 16 and 18 are separated by manipulating the handle30. An irregularly shaped object 68 is placed between the jaws 16 and 18and by manipulating handle 30, the objectengaging pins or plungers 50come in contact with the object 68 and as the movable jaw 18 proceedstoward stationary jaw 16 the pins are moved inwardly towards the innersurface of the jaw a substantial amount until the pins 58 engage theobject 68 substantially about its entire surface. The bolts 66 are thenturned inwardly to move the pressure plates 64 inwardly thereby clampingthe pins 58 in the relationship which conforms to the contour of thework object 68. As may be seen the work object 68 is thus securelyclamped between the opposing pins or plungers 50 and after the work hasbeen completed an other object of similar contour may be held securelyand the process repeated as often as desired and when it is desired tohold a workpiece having a difierent contour the bolts 66 may be loosenedand the setting-up process repeated.

Obviously, by the removal of the cover plates 40, the entire assembly ofwork-engaging pins and guide plate may be removed from the box-like jaws16 and 18 for easy cleaning or repair. This vise may be used wherever itis desired to hold irregularly shaped objects and finds its greatestutility wherein similar but irregularly shaped objects are to besuccessively clamped. The vise may be made of any suitable material andthe work engaging pins may be constructed of any desirable strength andsize depending upon the nature of the work to be held and otherwell-known equivalents.maybesubstituted .for a specific element shown inthis embodiment.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device iwillbe readily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and'changes willreadily occur to those skilled inthe art,-'it is notdesired to limit theinvention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordinglyall suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, fallingWithinthe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as newis as follows:

1. A vise comprising abase' member having a stationary jaw projectingupwardly from one end and a movable jaw slidable on said baseand meansto move said movable jaw, each of said jaws comprising a hollow blockhaving facing openings, a plurality 'of movable work-engaging membersslidably carried in said block, a movable pressure plate in each blockadjacent .one side wall thereof, and pressureapplying means-projectingthrough said side wall of each block and operable to clamp the adjacentpressure plate against said work-engaging members to lock each of themin work-engagingrposition, .each of saidtblocks being provided with anapertured plate spaced from a rear wall of each block for guiding eachindividual member, and spring means disposed between said guide plateand each member to urge each of the members into work-engaging positionwhenever said pressure plate is in a non-clamping position.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said members are eachprovided with'a shoulder and wherein said spring means comprises a coilspring surrounding a portionof each of said members,..said coil springhaving one end abutting said shoulder and having an opposite endabutting said guide plate.

References xCited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GreatBritain ;Dec.'17, 1947

